Cupcake Week =)

Dear Sugar Diary....

This morning has been a good one so far...got my baking done and am now relaxing with some music that has rain in the background...sipping on some coffee and letting the breeze come in through my kitchen window....yes..my laptop is in the kitchen...;) It is a nice clear 70°F here in the mountains and that makes for a beautiful day.

As I baked the banana strawberry cupcakes...I couldn't help think of when I was a kid. Eating ice cream and not caring as it melted down my arm.....I had no urgency to find a napkin or wet wipe...that was my mom's job. I just enjoyed the cold flavors and made a happy mess. These cupcakes filled my kitchen with the smells of banana split ice cream...one of my mom's favorites next to plain old chocolate. That led me to the idea of baking these cupcakes but next time I will add chocolate to it somehow. ;) I made the banana nut batter and after scooping them into the cupcake wrappers I added a slice of strawberry so it would bake into the cake.  There is something about how cooked strawberries smell...like candy!

Here is how I placed the strawberry slices...before I baked the banana cupcakes.

And this is how it looked after I baked them...=)

This is how they looked finished...topped off with some real strawberry buttercream. =)

      Yesterday I made the Creme Brulee cupcakes....and I can't help imagining a story with each flavor I bake....I imagined being in some fancy French Pastry Shop surrounded by the posh french accent....and the smells of caramelized sugar and warm pastries.

These are some Creme Brulee I made last year....

These ones are the ones I made yesterday for our winner...she commented and said---------------------------------->

You have out done yourself, this is the best cupcake I have ever tasted of yours so far. My daughter is asking for another one lol. Sooooo yummmyyyyyy!!!!

     And the day before that (Monday) I made some Peanut butter/ Chocolate cupcakes. That made me think of happy messy chocolatey hands (the kind they always seem to get just when you dress them nice) my kids would hold up so I could wipe them clean when they were small.;)

                             They also reminded me of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.And here is the comment I received from the winner of these :"Omg, those cupcakes are the most delicious things I have ever had! My daughter said she is in love with them and I agree. My sister says you can make her frosting anytime (she don't do frosting). THANK YOU SO MUCH! Everyone in my home is enjoying them. You truly are an artist! I know where I'm getting all my cakes from now on." ~Leah Baltrus



It feels like I won something instead of them....those comments make me feel like somehow the Cake Gods smiled down on each and every cupcake and gave it their blessing.....today I want to go ahead and try the St. Clemens cake...and hopefully procrastination won't get in the way this time;) Happy Baking friends....=)